Cam Tensioners 06 FLSTI

I'm gonna have my pipes off this weekend (finally got some 2 into 1's) .
My question has to do with cam tensioners. Since I will have the pipes off, I am thinking of pulling the cam cover and checking for wear. Looking at the manual, it seems like I will only be able to see the outer tensioners. Is this correct? Does the cam plate have to come off to see the inner shoe? I'm still under warranty till October and might just hold off for the summer.

I do hear some light rattling type noise up front on that side but 'not sure if it's normal and it doesn't sound too fatal. Plus it's only got 10k and i've already done 5 oil changes on it. Any advice would be appreciated.

The front shoe is easy to see. On the inner shoe you won't be able to see the surface wear without lifting the shoe up from the chain. The arm the inner shoe is connected to has a notch at the end of it. I was able to get a long thin steel rod under the notch and lift the shoe up. You have to rest the rod on top of the cam plated and slide the end of it under the notch in the arm. Pry down on the rod against the cam plate and the shoe will lift upward. Becareful not to let the rod slip. You can damage or break the shoe if you let smack down against the chain.

I have 24K on my Heritage and after inspecting them, I will have to change the shoes at 30K. Probably going to gear drive at that point.

Thanks for the info guys (and the pic's Chuck) that helps a lot. I think it might be worth a look just for some perspective... will probably try a different set up in the future... Somebody here recently mentioned hydraulic tensioners as an option other than a gear set.

A dental mirror, or simular tool will let you get a good peak at the rear tensioner shoe. By how deep the chain is riding in the shoe, looking at the rivets in the chain as a guide and comparing to the front shoe, will give you a real good idea of the wear without pulling the cam plate.

Sounds good... I'll do that... 3 day weekend so I just want to pull the cover and take a look while the pipes are off. I want to ride much as I can before it rains.. !

I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed Chuck, I realize now you're telling me I don't have to drain the oil, which is good to know. Got everything I need so I'm gonna get working on it. Hopefully on the road by noon...

Yep, it was no problem. The tensioners looked fine. Could see the inner one from the top... for some reason I thought it would be on the bottom.

The tensioner did have a divot in it which you can see in the pic. Not sure if that's by design. I figure I'll look at em again next year. Got my pipes on, K&N air filter and PCIII. What a difference! Woohoo!!!

They're V&H pipes.. Performance is pretty good. Map from PCIII seems to be dead on as there's no popping or anything unusual... I'm gonna throw some new plugs in it so that I can check 'em on occasion. 'Will need more cubic inches someday, but I'm happy for now.

My girlfriend's jealous so I'll probably be doing a similar upgrade to her Dyna... funny thing is her bike runs the balls as it is... she bought it used, so maybe it has a map upgrade in it...

thanks again for the solid advice!

Steve